That changed Monday when Debbie became the first woman in the country to undergo surgery that puts a fixed smile on her face. The novel procedure means she will never have to worry about “whether or not I’m smiling for the duration of Sunday morning.”

“It’s my duty to smile,” she says. “When I’m not projecting that joy of the Lord, I’m letting people down, no matter how crappy I feel.”

Before, when sheer willpower kept the smile on her face, her cheeks would be too tender to touch by Monday.
At other times, people have come to the door during the week and caught her not smiling, to her horror.

Now, with a smile firmly in place, Debbie can think about other things. Asked how she conveys other emotions, she said she signals to her husband with hand movements if she’s sad or angry.